Trafficking charge nets sentence

Kirk Douglas Lee, 37, former resident of Albion, was sentenced to nine months in jail Friday in superior court after pleading guilty to a charge of trafficking in stolen property. The property involved was hydraulic equipment which Lee had stolen from the Town of Albion. He is a former town employee.

The plea also involved thefts from a Colfax area residence where Lee had been employed on a construction job.

According to the arrest report by Deputy Paul Reavis, he received a report from Albion's public works director that he had discovered a hydraulic pump missing from the city shop when he was preparing street equipment Nov. 6 for the winter season. He also discovered two hydraulic cylinders and hoses, which were used on the town's Kubota tractor, were missing.

A Pullman resident earlier reported to Albion he suspected Lee had stolen the items which he purchased from Lee for $75. Reavis reported he was then unable to locate Lee who reportedly had moved from his Albion residence.

Lee was later located at a residence on Park Street in Colfax, located by Deputy Sgt. Dan Brown in connection with another investigation. Lee was arrested for taking items from the Nick Mayer residence on Highway 26 near Colfax while he had been employed by a contractor.

According to the report in that case, some of the items missing from the residence and other items were found in a warrant search of the truck Lee had been driving.

Lee was also suspected of taking cash and items belonging to the contractor.

Lee told the court Friday the thefts were the result of a drug habit which he has since overcome.

He was sentenced to nine months on the trafficking conviction and ordered to pay restitution of $1,762 to Mayer and $1,473 to the town of Albion when he completes the jail time. He was allowed to begin the sentence June 1. The charges in the Highway 26 case were dismissed as part of a plea bargain in which Lee was ordered to pay restitution to Mayer as part of the trafficking conviction.